Terps top Navy in thrilling finish

It came down to a single play.

After a tremendous day of running the ball, Navy elected to go for the win on 4th-and-1 from the Maryland 1-yard line. Cross the plane and the Midshipmen would have almost certainly won 21-17. Get stuffed, the Terps take over at their own goal line and the game is over.

Maryland safety Kenny Tate found Mids quarterback Ricky Dobbs, held him out of the end zone and nearly single-handedly secured the Maryland win.

Despite 412 yards rushing, the most allowed in head coach Ralph Friedgen’s 10-year tenure, Navy went home a loser. The Mids outgained Maryland by 214 yards, nearly doubled the Terps in time of possession and held them to just 11 yards passing all day.

Yet Maryland, despite a vanilla offense for the second quarter and beyond, stepped up defensively when the game was on the line, in front of a crowd of nearly 70,000 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland.

The Terps denied Navy from reaching the end zone several times, forcing two key fumbles: one at Maryland's 1-yard line in the second quarter, the other at Maryland's 4-yard line in the third. Thanks to another timely fumble, Navy ended a possession on the Maryland 7-yard line without a field goal just before halftime.

So, what can Terp fans take away from the game?

• The offensive line is much improved. Thanks to the line, Maryland averaged 7.7 yards per rush and quarterback Jamarr Robinson was sacked just once.
  
• Running backs Da'Rel Scott and Davin Meggett continue to get better and better, and Robinson makes the Terps' running attack potentially lethal. Meggett broke out a 67-yard rush in the first quarter and finished the game with eight carries for 105 yards and a touchdown. Scott had 10 carries for 58 yards and a touchdown, and Robinson ran 12 times for 91 yards, breaking out runs of 26 and 27 yards.
• Robinson's arm continues to look like an 8-year old trying to operate a machine gun. Powerful but completely erratic, which led to Friedgen and offensive coordinator James Franklin keeping him on a short leash. That would explain his lack of passing yards and attempts.
  
• The coaching staff got really lucky. No discredit to the players, but the coaching staff appeared to be giving the game away multiple times. Robinson was subbed out at a critical point, and backup quarterback Danny O'Brien fumbled on the first snap, turning the ball over in the fourth quarter. Later, Friedgen let 12 seconds run off the block with under a minute left in the game, when it was clear that if Navy scored, Maryland was going to need every last second it could use to stage one more drive to tie the game.
• Punter Travis Baltz's performance was huge. Not only did he attempt (and make) his first-ever college field goal, but he also booted three punts with a 53.0 yard average. He placed one inside the 20-yard line and kicked another one 61 yards.
  

The play of the game, besides Tate stuffing Dobbs at the end, was undoubtedly Moten's leapfrog forced fumble. It was literally perfect timing. Enjoy.